Monday, November 4, 2013

Brewery Tour #23 – Barrington Brewery & Restaurant

One
of the best ways to spend a summer weekend in Massachusetts is to visit the
area of Lenox and attend a concert at Tanglewood. It may be a pain in the neck
for most MA residents to trek to, but the concerts (primarily performed by the
Boston Symphony Orchestra) and other activities in the area easily make it
worthwhile. Norman Rockwell’s museum is close by, as are lovely hiking trails
and enjoyable restaurants. One restaurant that may be of interest to beer fans
is the Barrington Brewery. While technically in the town of Great Barrington, it’s an easy eleven-mile drive from Lenox. DBNE stopped in during a late
summer visit to the area.

I
wish all our reviews could be positive. But unfortunately, the Barrington
Brewery reminded us that not every establishment can impress. In fact, some can
be downright unfortunate.

Fitting
for the country setting and the style of food offered, the restaurant reminds
you of an old barn or come-as-you-are country steakhouse. Unsurprisingly, the interior is kitschy. It appears rundown and not in a cute, rustic, or other intentional
way. The place needs a makeover, badly.The layout is simply weird. An unwelcoming entrance practically puts you
right into the server’s station. And from watching many episodes of the TV show
Restaurant Impossible, we began to easily point out everything that should be
fixed or redone. It begs
for attention as it has a world of potential that appears neglected. But if
they’re making money, who are we to advocate for change.

Quick,
attentive service is normally a positive. But our service here was so much so that
we quickly felt an enjoyable leisurely dinner was not in the cards. Our server
was so attentive we felt rushed.

The
BBQ food defined mediocrity. Nothing was wrong, but nothing warrants a return
visit in the slightest. Throw in the fact that fries cost extra (at a pub?!)
and you’re not winning us over anytime soon.

Unfortunately,
the beer was no better. We tried their brown ale, pale ale, and a stout. All
three had a noticeably slick and thin mouthfeel we found deterring. As for
flavor, the brown ale and pale ale both tasted fine – albeit the kind of fine
you say with a shrug of the shoulders while cocking your head to the side. The stout
actually smelled quite nice but then let us down immensely on flavor (in
addition to its poor texture).

The
four major areas to judge here – food, beer, venue, service – all receive
negative marks from DBNE. It’s unfortunate that the one area in which they excel
(speedy service), they do too well thereby causing a negative, rushed
experience. Shame.

You
may notice the word “unfortunate” appears more than a couple times in this
review. That’s no accident. That word sums up our visit. I wish I could recommend
the Barrington Brewery to anyone who is at least driving right by its parking
lot, but I can’t – at least not for dinner. If you’re looking for a quick, no-fuss
lunch of a simple hot dog, burger, or sandwich along with a simple beer, the
restaurant may serve you fine. Give it a shot and see if you concur. Otherwise,
although restaurants may not be abundant in the area, you’re still better off elsewhere
for dinner. Might we suggest a place in downtown Lenox called Brava? It’s no
brewpub, but it offers a concisely well-curated beer (and wine) menu, a more
refined and warm interior, and a thoughtfully modern food menu focusing on tapas.
Brava is a must visit and will please any beer fan who opts to accelerate past
the Barrington Brewery.